Poland Receives First Short-Range Air Defense System Under PILICA+ Program

Poland has received the first serial Pilica short-range anti-aircraft missile and artillery system under the PILICA+ program.

The manufacturer, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), confirmed the delivery.

The system delivered is the first of 16 serial units scheduled for the Polish Armed Forces under a contract between the Armaments Agency and the PGZ–PILICA+ consortium.

“We are building a multilayered air defense for the Polish state… Air defense is the most expensive, complex, and demanding area,” said Władysław Kosińiak-Kamyś, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, during a ceremony at the 34th Anti-Aircraft Missile Division in Bytom.

The Pilica system consists of six combat modules, a command post, a radar station, two ammunition supply vehicles, and two transport vehicles.

Each combat module is based on the ZUR-23-2SP Jodek anti-aircraft missile and gun system, a Polish version of the ZU-23-2 twin anti-aircraft gun integrated with two Piorun missile launchers. The system is mounted on a Polish Jelcz 442.32 4×4 chassis and automatically tracks targets using radar and optoelectronic data.

Under the contract, PGZ will supply 22 Pilica+ batteries – 16 new units and six upgraded from existing Pilica systems to the “+” standard. All deliveries are scheduled to be completed by 2029.

As part of the Polish Shield program, Pilica was designed to provide short-range air defense to protect troops and critical infrastructure against aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles.

In 2022, the Polish Ministry of Defense announced the Pilica+ upgrade, which added iLauncher launchers equipped with short-range CAMM missiles. Without CAMM missiles, Pilica has a range of about 7 km; with the upgrade, it can engage targets up to 25 km away.

Similar CAMM missiles are expected to be used on future Polish frigates, while the extended-range CAMM-ER will serve as the basis for medium-range air defense systems.

Poland and the United Kingdom are also collaborating on the CAMM-MR missile, designed to strike targets up to 100 km away. The missile is intended as a cost-effective supplement to PAC-3 MSE interceptors in the Patriot air defense system, enhancing long-range coverage.